Parents in low-income families were less likely to delay asthma care for their children or avoid taking their children to see a doctor is they had lower vs. higher levels of health insurance cost-sharing.

Parents in low-income families were less likely to delay asthma care for their children or avoid taking their children to see a doctor is they had lower vs. higher levels of health insurance cost-sharing.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes subsidies to reduce cost-sharing for low-income families. Limited information about the effects of cost-sharing on care for children is available to guide such efforts.

A 2012 telephone survey that included 769 parents of children with asthma (ages 4 to 11 years). The authors examined the frequency of changes in seeking care and financial stress because of costs. Of the children, 25.9 percent were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program; 21.7 percent were commercially insured with household incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL); and 18.2 percent had higher cost-sharing levels for all services (e.g. $75 or more for an emergency department visit).